City celebration told of 'real hell' in Ukraine

A TEACHER in Ukraine has described how her school has to operate in two shifts because the basement where children go when air raid warnings sound only holds half the pupils.

- RICHARD YOULE

She said on certain days children ended up spending almost all the school day underground.

The testimony of the woman, named Lyudmyla, was shown in a video at a Ukraine Independence Day event in Swansea.

She said she worked at the school before the war and that a practice drill had been organised for what turned out to be just days before Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.

"Back then the children treated it like a game," said Lyudmyla.

"They enjoyed it because it was unusual. They had never been to that basement before. A week later the war began.

"Now the school operates in two shifts because only a certain number of children can fit into that basement, so they have to be divided."